The India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) announced that it has successfully deployed operational data exchanges in 10 Indian cities and is now entering its next phase where the platform is poised to be the core digital infrastructure of 25 more smart cities. Over the next two years, IUDX will not just deploy the platform, but also work on implementing use cases in the cities to help them become future ready, and support them in sustainable development and creating infrastructure that would improve the quality of life of citizens.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) through Smart Cities Mission (SCM) has sanctioned INR 29 crores to support the ambitious goals of the program for the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23. In the initial phase i.e., fiscal year 2020-21, the platform was first deployed in three pioneer smart cities – Pune, Surat, and Varanasi and then in seven more cities, namely Agartala, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Bhopal, Faridabad, and Vadodara. These cities are also deploying various use cases that will help improve the public infrastructure and facilities in the city.
Commenting on the funding, Mr Kunal Kumar, Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, said, “IUDX has come a long way in helping redefine sustainable and inclusive development in our smart cities. The possibilities created by IUDX are immense and it will play a crucial role in promoting open innovation; co-creation and eliminating siloed approach in the cities.”
“IUDX has grown steadily since the time it was conceptualised. Our vision is to help make Indian cities robust and sustainable, improving the ease of living of its citizens, as well as making the operation of the city more efficient,” said Dr. Inder Gopal, CEO, IUDX Program and Research Professor at IISc.
IUDX is a state-of-the-art, open-source software platform that utilizes the power of data to address the complex problems faced by urban India. Conceived and executed through a unique partnership between government, academia and industry, the program is anchored under the SCM of the MoHUA and is implemented & supported by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. Further, NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology are partners in this visionary initiative and have prominent positions on IUDX’s Board of Advisors.
